" responded Moto, while tears descended his cheeks.
"Simba has spoken nothing but the truth; he never utters lies. Master
Selim knows what Simba and Moto say they mean. Evil cannot approach him
while we are near, nor can danger lurk unseen. Rocks shall not wound
his feet, neither shall thorns prick his tender skin. If the journey is
long Simba is as strong as a camel, and Moto is fleet of foot as the
zebra, and enduring as the wild ass of Unyamwezi. Moto has spoken."

"Eh, Khamis, and thou, lea, hear and understand," said Selim, smiling.
"Where is the Arab who does not love the Nedjid mare, which partakes of
his food, as the wife of his bosom? But in Simba and Moto I have two
faithful friends. I have a camel, a zebra, and an ass, and you tell me
to beat them, Khamis. Fie, boy!"

"Boy, indeed! I am older than thou, and taller and stronger. Thou art
a child, or thou wouldst not believe the fulsome words of these lying
knaves. I have seen the world more than thou hast, and I assure thee on
my head I never saw the black man yet who could keep his hands from
stealing and his evil tongue from lying. I--Khamis, the son of Khamis,
the son of Abdullah--know whereof I am speaking."

"What a dear little child he is, to be sure!" laughed Isa. "Is it
Selim, the son of Amer, whose eyes are like the singwe of Urundi, and
whose limbs are like ivory? Eh, Khamis, my brother? Is Selim, the son
of Amer, turned a girl, that his ears court such music? And if thou art
of the complexion of ivory, what are we, I wonder--I, Isa, son of
Mohammed, and Khamis, son of Khamis?"

While Selim was blushing crimson from shame at the mocking words of Isa,
little Abdullah spoke up, and said, much to everybody's amusement except
Isa's:

"Why, Isa, dost thou mean to say that Selim is not good-looking? I have
often heard my father, Sheikh Mohammed, say he wished I was as
good-looking as Selim the son of Amer, though he thought I was every bit
as good. And, lea--now--don't be angry. I--I don't think thee
good-looking at all. Thou art almost as black as Simba, and--"

"Liar!" thundered Isa, directing a blow at Abdullah, which was happily
warded by Khamis, who, though ever-ready to lift the whip against stupid
slaves, was averse to see an Arab beaten. Isa, however, darting behind
Khamis aimed another blow at Abdullah; but Abdullah, probably seeing
that he was very angry, and would strike a serious blow, took to his
heels running round